Donald Trump is playing a new political card: keeping it close to the vest.  Speaking to reporters in New Hampshire, on Monday, the GOP presidential frontrunner declared that he is “staying above” the Republican fray to elect a new House leader.  Trump insists that he was not behind the ouster of now-former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.  Now, with Trump loyalist Jim Jordan booted from contention, the MAGA maestro claims, “There's only one person who could do it all the way.  You know who that is? Jesus Christ.”

Trump may be softening his “stolen election” loyalty test.  Former Congressman Mark Sanford correctly predicted that Jordan, who rejects the 2020 election results, would be hurt by Trump’s endorsement.  As Sanford explained to CNN prior to Jordan’s failed bid, “At the end of the day, he already had the firebrand caucus. Now, all of a sudden, you’re making, you know, Republican moderates in New York – there are 11 of them – nervous about, ‘Oh my goodness, I gotta defend this in my district?”

Minnesota’s Tom Emmer is the current favorite to take over the gavel.  Emmer is also among the 147 Republicans who voted to certify Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential victory.  But all appears to be forgiven in MAGA-land.  On Monday, Trump crowed, “I think he’s my biggest fan, now, because he called me, yesterday.  He told me, ‘I'm your biggest fan.’”

 

Update: MAGA nation rides again!  Twenty four hours after promising to stay out of the House leadership battle, Donald Trump took to his social media feed, Truth Social, to denounce Emmer as “globalist RINO” (Republican In Name Only).  Trump blasted, “He never respected the Power of a Trump Endorsement, or the breadth and scope of MAGA—MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”  Louisiana Congressman Mike Johnson, a vocal opponent of the 2020 election results, won the top job in a unanimous Republican vote.  His first action as speaker, on Wednesday, was to bring a resolution to the House floor reaffirming the United States’ support for Israel “as it defends itself against the barbaric war launched by Hamas and other terrorists.”  The resolution was passed by an overwhelming bipartisan majority of 412-10 with six members voting present.